Pensacola Beach is flying yellow and purple flags this morning. Water is 84°F with west to southwest winds at 2–10 mph and waves at 1.1 ft. Highs reach 89°F with a 15 percent rain chance. The red flag has come down from yesterday, but the purple flag stays up — dangerous marine life is still in the water.
Yellow means moderate hazard: moderate surf, moderate currents, or both. Swimming is allowed but calls for caution. This is a real improvement on the past two days — 1.1 ft of surf and light winds — though a yellow flag still means lifeguards are watching something in the water. Stay close to shore, swim near a lifeguard, and keep small children within arm's reach.
The purple flag is up alongside the yellow, meaning dangerous marine life has been reported in the water — on this coast in August that usually means jellyfish or Portuguese man-of-war. Purple is an additional warning, not a replacement for the yellow flag. Man-of-war tentacles still sting after the animal washes ashore, so give anything stranded on the sand a wide berth and keep children and dogs away from it. Shuffle your feet in the shallows for rays.
Is It Safe to Swim at Pensacola Beach Today?
Yes, with caution. The yellow flag allows swimming and the water is the calmest it has been this week at 1.1 ft and 84°F. The purple flag is the live concern: stinging marine life has been reported, and that is the most likely problem you will run into today. Swim near a lifeguard, stay within your depth, avoid anything washed up on the sand, and check the flags again before going back in later in the day.
Full Conditions Breakdown
| Condition | Reading |
|---|---|
| Beach flag | Yellow — moderate hazard, plus purple for dangerous marine life |
| Water temperature | 84°F |
| Air temperature | Low 76°F / High 89°F |
| Wind | W-SW at 2–10 mph |
| Wave height | 1.1 ft |
| Chance of rain | 15% daytime / 5% nighttime |
Pensacola Beach Tides Today
| Tide | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| High tide | 12:57 AM | 1.17 ft |
| Low tide | 2:34 PM | 0.51 ft |
The high arrives just after midnight at 1.17 feet, with a long fall through the morning and into the afternoon to the 2:34 PM low of 0.51 feet. Water moves for most of the usable day, which is what you want for pier and trough fishing. Full tide charts are on the live tides page.
7-Day Outlook
Wednesday is mostly sunny with a low chance of showers and thunderstorms and highs reaching 89°F. Thursday clears out to mostly sunny with highs near 89°F. The extended forecast holds to a typical late-summer pattern — warm daytime temperatures, occasional afternoon thunderstorm development and light winds.
More Emerald Coast Conditions Today
Also posted this morning: Navarre Beach conditions, Destin conditions and today's fishing report.